Risingbd Online Bangla News Portal

Dhaka     Friday   29 March 2024

Indonesia football tragedy: Tickets sold more than capacity

News Desk || risingbd.com

Published: 14:50, 2 October 2022  
Indonesia football tragedy: Tickets sold more than capacity

At least 174 people have died in a crush at an Indonesian football match that has become one of the world's worst stadium disasters.

About 180 were also hurt in aftermath of home team Arema FC's loss to bitter rivals at the overcrowded stadium late on Saturday in Malang, East Java.

The crush took place after police tear-gassed fans who invaded the pitch.

As panic spread, thousands surged towards Kanjuruhan stadium's exits, where many suffocated.

Fifa, the world's governing football body, states that no "crowd control gas" should be carried or used by stewards or police at matches.

President Joko Widodo has ordered that all matches in Indonesia's top league must be stopped until an investigation has been carried out.

The Indonesian football association (PSSI) said it had launched an investigation, adding that the incident had "tarnished the face of Indonesian football".

Violence at football matches is not new in Indonesia, and Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are long-time rivals.

However, Persebaya Surabaya fans were banned from buying tickets for the game because of fears of clashes.

Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD posted on Instagram that 42,000 tickets had been sold for the match at the Kanjuruhan stadium, which has a stated capacity of 38,000.

President Widodo called for this to be the "last soccer tragedy in the nation" after ordering that all Liga 1 games should be paused pending an investigation._BBC

Dhaka/AI